Back-band buckle



(No Model.)

W. F. ANTHONY. BACK BAND BUCKLE.

No. 546,988. Patented Oct. 1, 1895.

ANDREW HGRAHAM. PHOTO-LITHQWASNI NGTUN. D.C

ilNiTnn STaTns -ATENT @rrrtce WVALTER F. ANTHONY, OF WILLIAMSPORT, PENNSYLVANIA.

BACK-BAND BUCKLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 546,988, dated October 1., 1895.

Application filed March 29, 1895.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WALTER F. ANTHONY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Williamsport, county of Lycoming, and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Back-Band Buckles, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to such improvements; and it consists of the novel construction and combination of parts hereinafter described and subsequently claimed.

Reference may be had to the accompanying drawings, and the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

Similar letters refer to similar parts in the several figures therein.

Figure 1 of the drawings is a top plan view of my improved buckle. Fig. 2 is a central vertical section, taken on the broken line 2 2 in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a plan view of my improved buckle, showing a modified form of wedge-plate.

I have shown in the drawings my improved buckle made of two pieces of sheet metal. One piece comprises the web-plate A, having the transverse web-slots A and A the bearing-lugs A and A bent up from the opposite sides of the plate and containing bearing-apertures A, and the depending hook B. The other piece comprises the wedge-plate O, having the teeth 0, adapted to engage the webbing, and pivots or trunnions C and C adapted to enter the bearing-apertures and the lever C for operating the wedge-plate.

The foregoing parts are common and wellknown in buckles, the function of the hook B being to receive one of the links of a tracechain and thereby support the chain.

Various devices have been employed to prevent the accidental escape of the link from the hook while the parts are in use.

The object of my invention is to provide a cheap, reliable, and easily-operated means for locking the chain-link within the hook.

My improved means consist of one or more spurs or arms D projecting downwardly from the lower side of the wedge-plate below the mouth of the hook.

The body part of the wedge-plate, which forms the lever 0 is preferably separated from the Web-plate sufficiently to permit the Serial No. 543,677. (No model.)

operator to insert his fingers between the plates to operate the lever, and a hook-locking arm D projects diagonally across one side of the mouth of the hook, extending approximately from the point end to the shank of the hook in the direction of the bend and in close proximity to the side of the hook. The lower end'D of the locking-arm normally bears upon the web-plate when the parts are in a locked position.

I prefer to make the locking-arm D, which extends from one plate to the other, curved or crowned outwardly, as shown, whereby I am able to make the wedge-plate comparatively thin, since the crown shape enables the arm to resist the impact and strain resulting from forcing the hookcontained link up against it, and by extending the arm down below the mouth of the hook, the wedge-plate cannot be operated to release the webbing or to open the hook while the link is in the upper part of the hook, because the lower end D would engage the link and the parts would be firmly held by the link in a locked position.

Since the hook can be unlocked and opened only when the supported link is in the lower part or bottom of the hook, it is impossible for the link to be accidentally detached from the hook.

By having the locking-arms on one or both sides of the hook instead of in line therewith, they can be extended any desired distance below the mouth of the hook without interfering with the operation of the wedge-plate.

Should the arm project in line with the hook, it could not be extended below the upper end of the hook, and if it was projected from the wedge-plate to the web-plate at right angles to the plates it could be easily bent and destroyed as a look by the upward thrust of the link, unless made of very thick and heavy material.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-= 1. In a backband-buckle, the combination with the trace=hook on the web-plate, of a locking-arm on the wedge-plate projecting diagonally across one side of the mouth of the hook, extending approximately from the point-end to the shank of the hook in the direction of the bend and in close proximity to the side of the hook, whereby the trace-link cannot be withdrawn from the hook without operating the wedge plate to swing the locking-arm away from the hook, and the lockingarm can be swung away from the hook only When the trace-link is in the bottom or bend of the hook, substantially as described.

2. In a backband buckle, the combination with the trace-hook on the web-plate, of an outwardly curved locking-arm on the wedgeplate projecting diagonally across one side of the mouth of the hook approximately from the point-end to the shank of the hook in the direction of the bend, whereby its outwardly curved form is adapted to resist the upward thrust of the hook-supported trace-link, substantially as described.

3. In a backhand buckle, the combination with the trace-hook on the web-plate, of a pair of locking-arms on the wedge-plate projecting diagonally across the sides of the mouth of the hookin close proximity thereto,one on each side, extending toward the bend of the hook approximately from the point end to the shank of the hook, and thence along the shank toward the bend and terminating a short distance from the bend or bottom of the hook, whereby a slight upward movement of the trace-link from the bottom of the hook will prevent the locking-arms from swinging away from the shank and the arms can be swung away from the shank when the trace-link is in the bottom of the hook, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 13th day of March, 1895.

\VALTER F. ANTHONY.

\Vitnesses:

GEo. A. Mosnna, FRANK O. CURTIS. 

